Safety apparatus for vehicles



Aug, 23, 1927. 1 E JUPE 1,640,336

SAFETY APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES Filed Feb. 11, 1926 2 Sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR JosephE'duurd J a. BY

ATTORNEYS Aug. 23,1927.v f- 1,640,336

J. E. JUFF.

SAFETY APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES Filed Feb, 11, 192e 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Jogg/vla Edward .l a,v I

Patented Aug. `23, 1927.

UNITED stares JOSEPH EDWARD JUNE, or NEW vomi,v N. Y.,AssIGNoE 'ro EANNIE JUFE, or NEW Yoan, N. Y. f

SAFETY QAIARATUS FOR VEHICLES.

yApplication ,filed February 11, 11926. Serial N o. vv$87,558.

. This invention relates to yasatety apparatus for vehicles, and hasespecial reference to an yapparatus operablek in response to a lforce, applied -to a part` thereof toy stop the progress [of the vehicle, to pieventserious y gdamage to the vehicle, `andwhen the force is applied to said partdue to contactrwith a V' personin the way of thevehicle to safeguard such person against being run. over .v byl the.

' 've1selyinadvance O- the Vfront road wheels vehicle.v y Y n l The principal object of the present inven- Y tion istheprovisiononj a vehicle of yan apparatus Lof the'i-ndicated character whichV l will -be comparatively simple in construc- 15. tion, more thoroughlyelticient and effectual in carrying outthe results-sought. l Q

The nature ofthe invention and its distinguishing ffeatures Jand advantages will app'earrwhen the toll-owing specification is read `in connection `withlthe vaccompanying jdra-wings, in whichl Figure 1 is aside elevation of Atherfront end of an automobile with the'japparatusof Athe present inventionapplied thereto,- a porv tion ottone of they'frontroad lwheels of the automobile being broken ,away to lmore Icl'earlysliow partsofi the apparatus. l Fig. 2 -isavplan view showing the assem-v blage and structuralfeatures rof parts of the apparatus. y Fig. '3 is a sectional view taken onthevline 3-3 of F ig. .2.,and .illustrating the ,wheel hguard and its connections. l

- Fig. 4 isa sectionalviewitaken:onithe line ii-a of rig. a f

Y Fig., 5 is a sectional Generally stated, the apparatus pt Y the present invention comprisesthe combination view taken onthe'line 11 andV brake ,-rneclianism, a portion ot-:which is illustrated at 12, for :applying aIbralring action to the rear road wheels of the vehinormallynelevated'in a manner to permit they guard to dropto. alfguarding position i-n'ren ,sponse to kthe operation 'of -a iI n'eans 17 con# 'mechanismifor applying the brakes. lever `2S is" included in the brake mechanism x12hereinbetore*mentioned which can be vot vany Vpreferred type". The guard 14 is 'in the `form of aplate substantially equal in length rtothe Vsupporty23y aiid'is arranged in iront of vof a vehicle'lO:` including vkliront road wheelsnectedto the'bumper113, means 18 limiting 'the downward movement lof ,thev guard 14, -andmeans 1-9 for bracing the guard when the latter is in a lowered guarding position. 55

" lll-ore specifically stated the means hereinlbetore ymentioned is constructed, arranged 4andoperates in a manner presently to be; described The bumper 13 maybe oi' any pre- `terredconstruction and is arranged trans- G0 11 of'tlievehi'clc l0., The bumper 13 has connected thereto rods 2O at ,opposite ends thereof respectively atthe iear'ras vat 21'to angirregulai' bar 22. rThe rods 2G extend 15 through a support 23 in the form of a plate arranged transversely in advance Vot the road wheels 11'. Thesupport isiXed in place by the-use .of brackets 24 attachedv tothe supy port' 2S-and to the front ends respectively ot Til Vthe frame of the 'chassis of the-vehicle.v Each vrod-2() is connected as at 25 to one end of a lever 26 whose opposite end is connected by a short rod 271to the extremity beyond the pivotal connection of an' 'emergency' brake TTB before mentioned connected to`v the brake The the saine. The means 16 "for holding the si guard normally elevated comprises a lug 29 Vatthe rear Vof a iexibleportion of theV guard 14, and the saidl'ug is'movable into and out ofi-an opening`30 in they support 23. The

lsupport 23'at the opposite ends thereof is ne' Yprovided with slots 31 which accommodate headed pins 32 respectively tor guiding the `guard-14 :in its movement up and down.V

.The means 17 hereinbetore inentionedfor releasing the guard ltso that' it may drop to a 9'5 vguai',ding position comprises Alevers '33 each Yof which is fulcrumed Aby the .employment of -a bolt iA/carried by the support 23.

A spring 35 surrounds each bolt between a portionot th'e'lever and thewaslier and nut 36 100 -on theybolt; AOne end of eac'hflever SShas a slot 37; therein throughgwhich thewassociated end oi' the spring bears against the support The springs 40 are expansible springs and have a normal tendencyto maintain the slotted ends respectively of the lever 33 in engagement with adjacent portions otthe bar. 22. It is also to be noted at this time` that the springs 40 also serve to yieldingly maintain the bumper 13 in an extended po sition and capable o'lfnioving rearwardly' when a torce is applied to the bumper. lt

will now be apparent that when a force isapplied to the bumper 13 the same will move rearwardly, and as a consequence the brake mechanism 12 will be operated to apply the brakes. Yt the same time the levers will be moved respectively on their tulorums causing the .ends 38 tol press on the exten' 'sion 39 and as a consequence the lug 29 will be withdrawn from the opening 30. The guard 14 is sutliciently flexible to permit this action. The guard then drops until the lug 29 engages in an opening 41 in the support 23 to thus limit the downward movement of the guard 14 and to hold the same elevated slightly so as not to come in contact with the road surface. The means 19 for backingA up the lower end ot the guard 14 to provide th necessary rigidity when the guard in the vlowered guarding position includes rods 42 respectively at opposite ends ot the guard 14. Each of the rods 42 is pivotally connected as at 43 tothe guard 14 and the opposite end ot' the rod is provided with a loop 44 having on Vthe inside. of. a portion thereof teeth 4l which are engageable respectively with a member 46 extending through the loop 44 and supported by spaced lugs 47 attached to the i'ront axle 48 ot the vehicle. It follows therefore, that when the guard 14 is permitted to drop to a guarding position one ot the teeth of each of the loops will be engaged with its related member 46 to e'll'ectively brace the guard 14.

lt is to be understood that when the brake mechanism 12 is operated to apply the brakes eeA due to the 'torce applied to the bumper 13 that the emergency brake lever 28 will be held in the usual manner to maintain the application of the brakes, and this will prevent tlie springs 40 from returning the parts connected to the bumper toV normal position.

lt is thought that the manner in which the apparatus of the present invention operates will be fully understood from the rforegoing will therefore be omitted.

lt is to be understood thatthe invention is not restricted to the precise arrangement ot' parts' shown and described, as details of construction maybe modified and rearranged without departing from the spirit ot the invention, the scope of which is lim ited only by the terms of the appended claims. y

l claim: v Y 1. In a vehicle safety apparatus, a fixed support inthe term ofV a rigid plate, a front road wheel guard substantially similar to the lined support, means associating the guard with thetizred support tor sliding movement in overlapping relationship, a bumper,

means supporting the bumper for movement,

said bumper disposed inadvance of said support yand-guard, means releasablyholding the guard normally'elevated consisting of a tieni "leportion embodied by said guard, and

`a lug on said -flexible portion engageable in and disengageable-'trom an opening inthe lined support.; levers arranged respectively between portions on the bumper and 'an eX tensionV on 'said flexible portion, 'meansy act-- ing on the levers and bumper 'holdingthe levers ready for operation and thebumper in a position trom which it may move rearwardly to cause the levers to flex said tlexible portion to disengage said lug to release said guard to drop to a guarding position.

2. ln a` vehiclessafety apparatus, a tiXed support in the tormol2 a rigid plate, af front f road'wheel guard vsubstantially similar tothe fixed support, means associating theguard with the iixed support for sliding movement in overlapping relationship, a-bumpen means supporting the bumperv :tor movement, lsaid bumper disposed in advance of said support and guard, means releasably holding thel guardv normally elevated consisting of aliexible portion embodied by said guard, and a lug on saidtlexible portion engageable in and disengageable yfrom an opening in the lixed support; levers arranged respectively between portions o-n the bumper and an eX- tension on said liexible portion,lmeans acting on the levers and bumper holding the levers ready for operation and the bumper in a position'lrom which it may move rea-rwardly to cause the levers to `flex said lieXible p portion to disengage said lug to release said guard to drop to a guardingy position, and means limiting the. downward movement ot Ythe guard.V

llll

lll.)

lltl' 3. In a vehicle sal'etyv apparatus, a iiXedA support in the form .olf a rigid plate, a front road wheel guard substantially similar to the fixed support, means associating `the guard with the fixed support vfor sliding movement Iin overlapping relationship, bumper, means supporting the bumper tor movement, said bumper disposed in advance description anda more extended explanation by said guard,`and al lug on said flexible portion engageable in and disengageable from an opening in the fixed support; levers arranged respectively between portions on the bumper-"and an extension on saidiexible portion, means acting on the levers 'and 5 bumper holding the levers ready for -operation and the bumper in a position from which it may move rearwardly to Cause the levers to flex said flexible portion to disengage said lug to release said guard to drop to a guarding position, means limiting the downward movement of the guard, and means functioning to brace the lower portion o-the guard.

JOSEPH EDWARD JUFE. 

